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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLLEGE 

s  o  u  R  c  E^a  ss..  SosL.-^T  Pronwiiio^./^.i: 

73  

B27  

V.2 


CONSTITUTION 


OF   THE 


Massachusetts  Society 


FOR 


promoting 
Agriculture. 


ESTABLISHED    IN    1792. 


CONSTITUTION 


MASSACHUSETTS  SOCIETY 
EOR  PROMOTING  AGRICULTURE. 


ESTABLISHED   IN    1792. 


( 


BOSTON : 

NATHAN    SAWYER   &   SON,    PRINTERS, 

NO.    70    STATE  STREET. 

1894 


t 


CONSTITUTION. 

ARTICLE    I. 

That  there  shall  be  a  President,  two  Vice- 
Presidents,  a  Recording  Secretary,  Corresponding 
Secretary,  and  Treasurer,  who  shall  be  Trustees 
ex-officio ;  in  addition  to  these,  six  other  Trustees 
shall  be  chosen  from  the  State  at  large  until 
others  are  elected  in  their  stead. 

ARTICLE    II. 

All  ollicers,  as  well  as  new  members,  shall  be 
elected  by  ballot.  The  election  shall  be  deter- 
mined by  a  majority  of  votes. 

ARTICLE    III. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society  shall  be 
held  on  the  second  Wednesday  in  June,  at  eleven 


4  MASSACHUSETTS    SO(  IKTV 

o'clock  A.M.,  at  such  place  as  the  Trustees  shall 
appoint,  of  which  they  shall  give  notice  in  one 
of  the  Hoston  newspapers  at  least  one  week 
previous  to  said  meeting. 

ARTICLE    IV. 

There  shall  be  a  choice  of  oflicers  at  the  Annual 
Meeting  in  June,  and  any  number  of  members 
present,  or  voting  by  proxy,  shall  be  authorized 
to  transact  business. 

ARTICLE    V. 

If  at  any  meeting  of  the  Society,  or  of  the 
Trustees,  the  President  and  Vice-Presidents  should 
be  absent,  the  members  present  may  appoint  one 
from  among  them  to  preside  at  such  meeting. 

ARTICLE    VI. 

The  President,  or,  in  case  of  his  absence, 
either  of  the  Vice-Presidents,  with  the  advice  of 


I 


FOR    PROMOTING    AGRICULTURE.  O 

the  Trustees,  may  call  a  special  meeting  of  the 
Society ;  or  whenever  written  application  with 
reasons  assigned  therefor  shall  be  made  by  any 
twelve  members  of  the  Society  to  the  President 
and  Trustees,  they  shall  call  such  meeting. 

ARTICLE    VII. 

The  meetings  of  the  Trustees  shall  be  held  at 
such  time  and  place  as  they  shall  from  time  to 
time  agree  upon,  seven  of  whom,  with  the  pre- 
siding member,  shall  make  a  quorum  for  doing 
of  business,  except  in  the  case  of  election  of 
members. 

ARTICLE    VIII. 

The  Trustees  shall  regulate  all  the  concerns  of 
the  Society  during  the  intervals  of  its  meetings, 
propose  such  objects  of  improvement  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public,  publish  such  communications, 
and  offer  premiums  in  such  form  and  value  as 
they  shall   think  proper,   provided  the   premiums 


()  MASSACHUSETTS    SOCIETY 

offered  do  not  exceed  the  funds  of  the  Society, 
and  shall  lay  before  the  Society  at  its  Annual 
Meeting  a  statement  of  their  proceedings  and  of 
the  communications  made  to  them. 

The  Trustees  shall  have  power  to  fill  vacancies 
in  their  body. 

ARTICLE    IX. 

The  candidate  for  election  shall  be  proposed  by 
a  member  of  the  Society,  and,  on  being  balloted 
for,  if  the  number  of  votes  in  favor  of  such 
candidate  shall  amount  to  a  majority  of  the 
members  present,  such  person  shall  be  considered 
as  duly  elected. 

ARTICLE    X. 

The  Recording  Secretary  shall  take  minutes  of 
all  the  votes  and  proceedings  of  the  Society  and 
of  the  Trustees,  and  enter  them  in  separate  books, 
and  shall  record  all  such  communications  as  the 
Trustees  may  direct. 


FOR    rUO.AIOTING    AGRICULTURE. 


ARTICLE    XI. 

The  Correspouding  Secretary  shall  write  all 
letters  relating  to  the  business  of  the  Society, 
and  answer  all  such  letters  to  the  Society  as  the 
Trustees  shall  direct. 


ARTICLE    XII. 

Tlie  Treasurer  shall  receive  all  monies  due  or 
payable  to  the  Societ}',  and  all  donations  that 
may  be  made  to  it,  for  which  he  shall  give 
duplicate  receipts,  one  of  which  shall  be  lodged 
with  the  Recording  Secretary,  and  make  a  fair 
record  thereof,  and  from  time  to  time  pay  out 
such  monies  that  may  be  in  the  treasury  as  he 
shall  have  orders  for  from  the  Trustees,  and  shall 
annually,  and  whenever  thereto  required,  render 
a  fair  account  of  all  his  receipts  and  payments 
to  the  Society  or  a  committee  thereof.  The 
Treasurer's  accounts  shall  be  kept  in  dollars  and 
cents,  and  shall   give  bonds  for  the  faithful  dis- 


8  MASSACHUSETTS    SOCIETY 

charge  of  his  duty  in  such  sums  as  the  Trustees 
shall  direct  and  with  such  sureties,  said  bond  not 
to  exceed  $5,000. 

ARTICLE    XIII. 

A  committee  shall  be  chosen  at  the  Annual 
Meeting  to  audit  the  Treasurer's  accounts,  who 
shall  report  thereon  at  the  next  Annual  Meeting, 
and  the  same  being  accepted  shall  be  entered  by 
the  Recording  Secretary  in  his  books. 

ARTICLE    XIV. 

In  the  case  of  death,  resignation,  incapacity, 
or  removal  out  of  the  State  of  either  of  the 
Secretaries,  or  of  the  Treasurer,  the  Trustees 
shall  take  charge  of  the  official  books,  papers, 
and  effects  belonging  to  the  office  that  may  be 
vacated,  and  give  receipts  for  the  same,  which 
books,  papers,  etc.,  they  may  deliver  to  some 
person  whom  they  may  appoint  to  till  up  the 
office  until  the  next  meeting  Of  the  Society,  at 
which  time  there  shall  be  a  new  choice. 


FOR    PROMOTING    AGRICULTURE.  !» 

ARTICLE    XV. 

The  members  of  the  Society  shall  pay  auuually 
into  the  hands  of  the  Treasurer  §1.00  for  raising 
of  a  fund  for  carrying  into  execution  the  designs 
of  the  institution. 

ARTICLE    XVI. 

A  committee  shall  be  appointed  from  time  to 
time  severally  to  solicit  and  receive  subscriptions 
for  raising  of  a  fund  for  encouraging  the  noblest 
of  pursuits,  the  agriculture  of  our  country,  the 
same  to  be  sacredly  appropriated  to  that  purpose. 


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